During this winter quarter, we had the wonderful opportunity to meet and speak with Dr. Katherine Koh, a historian of the Christian Reformation and current chair of the Department of History, Politics, and Sociology at La Sierra University. Koh joined the Honors Program faculty in the winter of 2024 as the Honors Scholarship Coordinator.
Koh has a long relationship with the Honors Program. She first entered in fall 2000 as a first-year student at La Sierra, partly because she only wanted to take one quarter of English instead of three and was intrigued by the courses offered. Valuing the unity of a cohort, Koh is still friends with multiple people that she took classes with in the Honors Program — she even married one of them! Looking back at her college years, the Honors Program offered consistency; in that aspect, she was able to get to know a small group of people really well through the seminar courses.
As an alumna of the program, Koh felt honored to take up the role when Director Sutter asked her to be a part of the program. Plus, Honors Coordinator Esther Olmedo made her a friendship bracelet with the word “Honors” on it, which sealed the deal. Currently teaching UHNR 364 and 464, Honors Scholarship Colloquium and Project, Koh loves watching students become professionals in their fields. She sees the scholarship project as an opportunity for students to apply the knowledge they have gained throughout the course of their studies. Reflecting on past experiences, she shares, “Watching them get excited about a topic and create something meaningful is a beautiful process to be part of.”
Drawing on her own academic journey and her expertise, Koh understands that research and writing are arduous. She admits it has not been easy for her either. From her trials and many hours of writing, her goal has been to bring empathy, perspective, and structure into the class. Koh hopes that students will create a piece of work that contributes to their field of study and is either presentable or publishable. She also hopes they can overcome fears and barriers they may face in producing original scholarship. Once they do, she believes they can begin to realize their full potential as scholars.
Koh’s own academic interest was shaped early by her life of frequent transitions and deep curiosity. Growing up as a pastor’s child meant that she and her family moved every 2-4 years, making her no stranger to new schools and unfamiliar faces. In her journey of constant changes, books — especially biographies — became her companions, sparking her love and interest in what she does today; focusing on the intersection of religion, violence (physical and economic), and politics.
A move to the Republic of Ireland at the age of thirteen further shaped Koh. In Ireland, Koh was able to get in touch with her Irish heritage and expand her love of history and museums. She was greatly influenced by all of the history that surrounded her each day. During this time, Ireland was living in a troubled period in its history — the 1990s — when terrorist attacks by both Protestant and Catholic groups were prevalent. One such attack destroyed her friend’s movie theater during a screening of “Titanic.” As a result, Koh’s desire to know more about why religion divided people to the point of violence led her to her graduate work on the subject, exploring these themes academically.
Currently, Koh’s research involves finishing up an edition of letters written by Sir William Cordell, Elizabeth I’s Master of the Rolls (the head judge of the Equity Court). Cordell was one of the few statesmen in Elizabeth’s Court who was openly Catholic. Koh’s work looks at how he navigated the rough political and religious waters of the Tudor Period and managed to create a successful career in the midst of it.
Outside of academia, Koh’s greatest joy and interest is her family — her husband, Shawn, and their seven-year-old daughter, Sophia. Koh enjoys sharing her hobbies with Sophia, especially cooking and gardening. After spending the day in her head, Koh finds comfort in tangible activities like sewing, particularly dresses, shoes, and patchwork quilts. She also loves reading and tries to spend at least 30 minutes a day reading something, whether that is fiction or nonfiction.
—Halle Reese, Class of 2027: History/Political Science/Pre-Law and Luke Decena, Class of 2028: History/Political Science/Pre-Law